Modern agriculture relies upon a wide variety of machines to provide the high efficiency that is required to provide the food that we eat at a cost that we can afford. One (1) of the most well-known of these machines is the agricultural combine. Combines are principally used to harvest various grains.
The front part of a combine that is being used to harvest grains is called the grain header. The grain header utilizes a series of sharp knife blades (sickles) to cut the grain stalks which are then collected within the combine where the grain is then separated from the stocks. After separation, the grain is stored in the combine until it can be transferred to a truck or other transportation vehicle.
As with all complex mechanical devices agricultural combines are subject to wear and tear as well as mechanical breakage. Exacerbating the problem of mechanical breakage of combines is the prolonged continuous and arduous usage many combines experience during harvest season. In particular, grain header knife blades are subject to intense wear which necessitates relatively frequently replacement.
Complete replacement of a set of an agricultural combine knife blades usually necessitates the removal and replacement of up to thirty-five foot (35 ft.) long knife blades which need threading through the mechanical structures of a grain header. Replacement is a tough and dangerous job which can expose multiple workers to the sharp edges of the knife blades.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a device which assists replacement of reciprocating knife blades on a grain header that reduces physical risk to workers. Preferably such a device would make blade replacement faster and easier than in the prior art. Ideally such a device for replacing reciprocating knife blades would be cost effective and suitable for use on numerous brands of agricultural grain combines.